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County market analysis · Data updated · September 26, 2026
Car Washes in Horry County, SC
Horry County, SC has 54 car washes across 11 chains and 26 independents, drawing 22,258 Google reviews with a 1.3% reviewer-reported damage rate. It skews express tunnel (43% of locations) and is a mix of chains and independents; its washes rate well above the national norm at 4.58★. The BLS counts 29 car-wash employer establishments in the county paying a $26,825 average wage.
Horry County at a glance
- Car washes
- 54
- 48% independent
- Top operator
- Zips Car Wash
- 9 locations
- Avg rating
- 4.58★
- +0.17 vs U.S. norm
- Damage rate
- 1.3%
- Top format
- express tunnel
- 43% of classified
- BLS establishments
- 29
- employer businesses (QCEW)
Market Quality snapshot
- Population
- 368,937
- ACS 2023 5-year
- Households
- 150,342
- ACS 2023 5-year
- Residents per wash
- 6,832
- 3.5× the national MSA median — lighter supply
- Express tunnels per 10K households
- 1.5
- above ~1.5 — heavily built · classified sites
Official footprint · BLS QCEW 2024
29
Employer establishments
144
Industry jobs
$26,825
Avg annual wage
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW (private, NAICS 811192). Counts employer establishments — a narrower universe than all physical wash locations. “—” = withheld by BLS for disclosure.
Format mix in Horry County, SC
Customer-experience signals
Net sentiment (−1 to +1) across 8,306 AI-analyzed reviews. Positive = more praise than complaints.
Price & value
+0.24
Speed & wait
+0.67
Wash quality
+0.77
Customer service
+0.87
Equipment reliability
-0.21
Facilities
+0.77
Membership value
+0.20
Top operators in Horry County, SC
| Operator | Locations | Avg rating |
|---|---|---|
| Zips Car Wash | 9 | 4.46 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4 | 4.74 |
| Whistle Express Car Wash | 3 | 4.61 |
| Mako Express Car Wash | 3 | 4.95 |
| Sandlapper Car Wash | 2 | 4.27 |
| Luxury Auto Spa Mobile Detailing & Ceramic Coating | 2 | 4.90 |
| Detrick's Car Wash | 1 | 4.80 |
| Scrubby's Car Wash | 1 | 4.70 |
| Sud Stop Car Wash | 1 | 4.80 |
| Spearko's Mobile Auto Detailing | 1 | 5.00 |
| bp | 1 | 4.00 |
Car washes in Horry County, SC
| Car wash | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Zips Car Wash | 4.4 | 1,503 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.5 | 1,474 |
| Whistle Express Car Wash | 4.7 | 1,427 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.6 | 1,409 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.6 | 1,368 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.3 | 1,141 |
| Detrick's Car Wash | 4.8 | 1,043 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.3 | 1,022 |
| Whistle Express Car Wash | 4.4 | 928 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.3 | 716 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4.6 | 700 |
| Whistle Express Car Wash | 4.7 | 671 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4.8 | 644 |
| Mako Express Car Wash | 5.0 | 540 |
| Scrubbys of Socastee | 4.7 | 498 |
| Sandlapper Car Wash | 4.2 | 453 |
| Lookin' Good Auto Detailing & Ceramic Coating | 5.0 | 447 |
| Ceramic Pro of Myrtle Beach Luxury Auto Spa Detail Studio | 4.9 | 440 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.5 | 408 |
| Sud Stop Car Wash | 4.8 | 404 |
| Zips Car Wash | 4.6 | 374 |
| Mako Express Car Wash | 4.9 | 363 |
| Art's Car Wash Hwy 9 | 4.3 | 357 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4.9 | 350 |
| Premier Detailing & Window Tinting | 5.0 | 324 |
| Turbo Jet Car Wash | 3.8 | 320 |
| SELF CAR WASH | 4.3 | 292 |
| Sandlapper Car Wash | 4.4 | 237 |
| Dun-Rite Detailing & Ceramic Coatings | 4.9 | 206 |
| Conway Carwash | 4.1 | 200 |
| Mako Express Car Wash | 4.9 | 199 |
| Pro Detail & Window Tint | 4.8 | 186 |
| Coastal Coating - Ceramic Coatings, Window Tint, and Detailing | 5.0 | 184 |
| Tidal Wave Auto Spa | Car Wash | 4.8 | 166 |
| NoLimit Customs | 4.6 | 150 |
| Pure Pristine Mobile Detailing | 5.0 | 120 |
| Perfection Car Wash | 3.9 | 115 |
| Gordon’s Elite Detailing & Ceramic Coatings | 5.0 | 96 |
| All Hands Auto Detailing | 4.9 | 92 |
| El Rey Auto Detailing | 5.0 | 83 |
| bp | 4.0 | 83 |
| Cut N Tail | 5.0 | 74 |
| First Responders Detailing, & Ceramic CoatingLLC. | 5.0 | 70 |
| Daniel's Cleaning & Detailing LLC | 5.0 | 63 |
| Ryde & Shyne Auto Sales Car Detailing | 4.7 | 55 |
| Carolina Shine | 2.0 | 51 |
| Socastee Car Wash | 4.4 | 50 |
| Coleman Detailing | 5.0 | 49 |
| Clarity Gloss Auto Spa Detailing | 5.0 | 32 |
| Horry Mobile Detailing | 4.8 | 24 |
| Frostbite Mobile Auto Detailing | 5.0 | 19 |
| Luxury Auto Spa Mobile Detailing & Ceramic Coating | 5.0 | 16 |
| Personal Auto Repair & Detailing | 3.0 | 12 |
| Black N Yellow Premium Car SPA | 5.0 | 10 |
Frequently Asked Questions
About Horry County, SC
How many car washes are in Horry County, SC?
+
WashIndex tracks 54 car washes in Horry County, SC — 11 chain operators and 26 independents. The BLS separately counts 29 car-wash employer establishments (businesses with payroll) in the county.
What is the most common type of car wash in Horry County, SC?
+
Express Tunnel is the most common format in Horry County, SC, with 23 of 54 locations.
How much do car wash workers make in Horry County, SC?
+
Car-wash employees in Horry County earn about $26,825 per year on average (BLS QCEW, 2024), across roughly 144 jobs.
Cite this page
Data as of 2026-09-26. Pick a format and click Copy.
APA
WashIndex. (2026, September 26). Car Washes in Horry County, SC — Market Analysis & Statistics. https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/horry-county-sc
Chicago
WashIndex. "Car Washes in Horry County, SC — Market Analysis & Statistics." WashIndex. Last modified September 26, 2026. https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/horry-county-sc.
MLA
"Car Washes in Horry County, SC — Market Analysis & Statistics." WashIndex, Sep. 26, 2026, https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/horry-county-sc.
BibTeX
@misc{washindex_car_wash_counties_horry_county_sc_2026,
title = {{Car Washes in Horry County, SC — Market Analysis & Statistics}},
author = {{WashIndex}},
year = {2026},
month = {Sep},
url = {https://washindex.com/car-wash-counties/horry-county-sc},
urldate = {2026-09-26},
} Per-location car-wash data for Horry County, SC (format, operators, AI-scored review signals) joined to the county's official BLS footprint. See the Myrtle Beach metro analysis · methodology. Free to cite with attribution to WashIndex.